Emulsifying machine



' Feb. 11, 1936.

Filed July 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l m a w m 2 J f v a w 1W1? E A a ,M m /r & & K7 h 1a e a \.N M C A? M 0 e 4 My "up 16 HHS 0 lb, 0 9% e .a r 9 I. u

1936- c. E. GREENER EMULSIFYING MACHINE Filed Jul 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE Ap n y 21, 1933. Seri l No, 681 606 In Great Brit Jul 2 133 4 Claims.

My invention has reference to emulsifying or homogenizing machines such as are used for remaking cream from butter and milk and generally for making or homogenizing emulsions of liquid 5 and/or semi-liquid substances; the improvements constituting or comprised in the said invention being particularly applicable to the type wherein the substances to be emulsified are pumped from a supply-container or reservoir and forced 19, through a chamber which houses a mechanical emulsifying element.

Factors which may affect the working of the machines and/ or the character or consistency of the delivered emulsion are the nature of the 5. ingredients used and the temperature nder which the emulsification is performed, and one object of the present invention is to provide a machine in which the action of the emulsifying element may be easily regulated or controlled to enable an emulsion of any desired consistency or fluidity (within certain limits) to be made and which will enable the emulsifying action to be varied (even whilst a charge is being put through) to suit different mixture-ingredients or different 25, Working temperatures.

According to one feature of my said invention, I propose to embody in the emulsifying machine of the type referred to, means whereby the active emulsifying element (hereinafter called the B13:-

30. ment) may be adjusted from outside the machine, and even when emulsification is in progress, so as to vary or change the effective area of the passage or clearance between the said element and the walls of the element-chamber or housing.

35. This variability of the working clearance enables the element to cope with any mixture or in.- gredients that may be presented to it and to vary the emulsification to any degree that may be desired. Incidentally, the adjustable element and the adjusting device may be readily removable from the emulsifying chamber to facilitate cleaning and the clearing of obstructions.

One construction of machine embodying an adjustable element in accordance with the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the said drawings is a sectional elevation of a machine in which the element and its adjusting expedient are combined in a single 50, member and non-return valves are provided in the element and in the emulsion-delivery outlet.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 1.

5 In the machine shown in Figures 1 to 3, the

ump-cyl nder a and clem n c amb r 1) st utc a s l unit whi h s ar i in a u a tially perpendicular position between the side uprights 0 of a frame 0 whose base 0 is adapted to be clamped, to a a le o t er u p T e said cylinder unit a, b, is journalled at a to,

and is adapted to oscillate between, the frame-.-

uprights and the lower portion it constitutes the pumpin hamber w ein the p mp-p u r d operates, whilst the upper portion is formed with the chamber 22 for the emulsifying element 6 and has a mixture-intake port 1 opening into its upper part and an muls on outlet port o op nin from its lower part. The said chamber 1) also has open communication. at its lower end, with the pump chamber, The ports f g have connection espe ti ely wi h a mixtu uc p p I and an emulsionsdelivery nozzle 9 one non-return ball-valve g being provided in the delivery pipe or clos n he a t r d r n h su n ok whilst another valve f is provided in the inletpas asc cf. t e eleme t 6 or o g e Said passage d r ng the pum ing ke- A scali g Washer h is rra ed within a housne r ns in th l w r nd of t mpmbcr and is ada ed to b ontr around the plunger by the internal fluid pressure to prevent the esc p 01' leaka of m x e past h plunger durin th pumpin s r s, lu r s a icu atcd at its lo cr'chd o an pe ating lever i whi h is ivoted on a ross-p n 1' ca d y, and ea the bas f, t e frame; th p n eing removab e to enabl the cver-and-plunger unit to e nil-stripped from the mach n t fa ilitate leaning! The scalin washer h and its annular housing h are also detachable from the cylinder so that after the withdrawal of the plunger therethrough, these parts (It, h may also be disconnected to render the interior of the said cylinder accessible for cleaning. The journal-mounting of the cylinder in its supporting frame is so arranged that after the disconnection of the operating lever and the withdrawal of the plunger, the said cylinder may be swung up into a position in which the detachment of the washer-housing, and the subsequent cleaning operations, may easily be performed.

The emulsifying element e consists of a maletapered body formed with an alternating succession of annular ribs 6 and channels e and is contained within a female-coned housing-chamber.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3, this element is formed with mixture-intake passages to allow mixture to pass from the suction-pipe and through the element itself into the pump chamber during the suction stroke of the plunger, and the said element is rigidly connected with, and is suspended within its chamber by, an adjusting or regulating member 5/ which is screwed into the top of the cylinder-unit a, b, and is adjustable from the outside of the machine by a finger-piece 7' the arrangement being such that by turning the finger-piece in one direction or the other, the element may be raised or lowered in its housing to increase or decrease (as the case may be) the effective areas of the annular clearances or passages between the element ribs and channels e e and the coned wall of the chamber and thereby vary the factors that govcan the consistency or fluidity of the emulsion produced by the forcing of emulsifiable mixture through the said annular passages during the pumping stroke of the plunger. The construction of the element and the adjusting device as a single screw-in unit facilitates the disconnection of the element from the pump and enables efiective cleansing of the said element and its chamber.

The mixture-suction pipe f and the emulsion,- delivery nozzle 9 are also detachable from the pump to facilitate cleaning.

As regards the suction pipe f this is connected with the emulsifying-element chamber which is formed in the head of a perpendicular pump-cylinder and is normally (or when the machine is assembled for use) supported by the stand in substantially-elevated relation to the base or foot of the said stand. This enables the embodiment in the machine of a suction pipe (see Figure 2) which depends from its connection with the element chamber to a level near the stand base and which can, therefore, be arranged to extract mixture from a saucepan or other independent vessel placed by the side of the machine and upon the table or other support whereto the said machine is clamped for use. Preferably, and to facilitate the introduction and removal of the intake end of the pipe into such a vessel, the said pipe has a swivelling connection at I which enables the same to be swung into and out of its perpendicular position when the machine is clamped down for working.

Whilst the drawings illustrate the simplest forms of externally-adjustable element that can conveniently be embodied in a machine of the perpendicular cylinder type, the adjustable device may be used in conjunction with other forms or constructions of emulsifier wherein one member is movable in relation to another and one or both of these members presents sharp edges to the other. It is also obvious that although screw adjustments are the most convenient to adopt for the point of view of easy and accurate operation, and easy disassembly for cleaning the internal parts, other mechanism, such as a lever operated cam, may be used to effect the adjustment of the emulsifying element.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. An emulsifying machine comprising a pump cylinder, a piston operable within said cylinder, an emulsifying chamber communicating with the pump cylinder and provided with suction and delivery ports, a non-return valve controlling the passage through said delivery port, an emulsifying element within the emulsifying chamber having a passage therethrough communicating with said suction port and with the pump cylinder, 2. non-return valve controlling the passage through said emulsifying element permitting fiow through said passage from the suction port to the pump cylinder but preventing flow from the pump cylinder to the suction port, and an external, manually-operable adjusting device connected to said emulsifying element for suspending said element within the emulsifying chamber, said emulsifying element and its adjusting device constituting a single removable unit, said adjusting device being operable to vary the clearance between the emulsifying element and the walls defining the emulsifying chamber to control the degree of emulsification.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emulsifying element andits adjusing device are formed integrally and constitute a single, detachable unit and in which the adjusting device has screw-thread connection witha portion of the walls defining the emulsifying chamber.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cylinder is vertically disposed and including a supporting frame comprising a base and a pair of spaced uprights extending from said base, means at the upper ends of the cylinder and uprights for connecting the cylinder between the uprights for pivotal movement therebetween, and a suction pipe having a swiveling connection with the suction port of the emulsifying chamber and normally depending therefrom towards the base of the supporting frame, the swiveling connection permitting the pipe to be swung into and out of its normal depending position to facilitate the insertion and removal of the pipe into and from a suitable vessel arranged adjacent the supporting frame.

4. An emulsifying machine comprising a pump cylinder; an emulsifying chamber communicating with said pump cylinder and provided with suction and delivery ports; a non-return valve controlling the passage through said delivery port; an emulsifying element within the emulsifying chamber and movable therein to vary the clearance between the said element and the walls defining said chamber to control the degree of emulsification; said emulsifying element having a passage therethrough communicating with said suction port and with the pump cylinder; a nonreturn valve in said passage permitting flow through said passage from the suction port to the pump cylinder but preventing flow from said pump cylinder to said suction port; an externally operable adjusting device for said element, said adjusting device and element being combined in a single, detachable unit having screw thread connection with a. portion of the walls defining the emulsifying chamber; a supporting frame comprising a base and a pair of spaced uprights ex tending from said base; means at the upper ends of the cylinder and uprights for connecting the cylinder between the uprights for pivotal movement therebetween, the lower end of said cylinder being open; a piston extending through the lower open end of the cylinder and into said cylinder; an operating lever pivotally connected to the lower end of the piston; and means for pivotally connecting said operating lever to thebase of the supporting frame below the lower open endofthecyl- --inder, said connecting means being detachably secured to said base to enable the said lever and piston to be readily disconnected from said base.

CHARLES EDWARD GREENER. 

